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Regulation can keep pace with changing tech. Here’s how.

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    • With rising concerns about consumer privacy, anti-competitive business activity and the spread of misinformation, public and policymakers' scrutiny of the high-tech space is intensifying. Big Tech's influence is still rising. Safety and data privacy laws already struggle to keep up. Who should oversee and police the online giants, and how can we ensure privacy and security standards meet what consumers rightly expect? The blistering clip of technology If you thought the world moved fast before the pandemic, it's now positively frantic. COVID-19 prompted business to leap forward a technological decade in just three months. "From news, images and videos to apps, games and user-generated content, most material we consume is funneled through the largest technology firms," Taylor Tresatti, head of industry research for BIZDEV: The International Association for Business Development, told me. "More of the world's conversations only take place online." Tech firms' disproportionate influence, alongside concerns about their opaque business practices, raises questions about where responsibility lies for overseeing and governing online worlds. Regulatory processes and technological change International law's often outdated rules, lack of alignment between territories and government bodies and ongoing new technology add up to a mess for government and industry leaders. They're also concerned regulation could throttle innovation. Politicians are often quick to play to public fear but slow to understand new technologies' impacts fully. "These systems are often slow to change and adapt, so they're at direct odds with the technology they aim to manage," Tresatti observes. "That's before artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning start to drive more exponential industry advancement and growth." Other fast-moving advancements regulation must consider include robotics, quantum computing and industrial automation. Political and public concern not always aligned Political leaders can be part of the problem, Bob Ehrlich, head of consumer insights at Techsavvy, told me. "These and other virtual boogeymen are hot topics for voters, but politicians also face the challenge of how to keep up with a growing technological arms race among international powers." He expects this to lead to greater regulation in the high-tech space. Meanwhile, consumer concerns over privacy and data sharing are skyrocketing. Even as companies like Apple and Google adopt new privacy measures, Meta (formerly Facebook) has fought against them. In technologically advanced nations like the US, there's no comprehensive federal law regulating how most companies collect, store or share customer data − data often prone to compromise or breach by more sophisticated, complex threat actors. "The stage is set for a perfect storm," says Ehrlich. "From back-end oversight and management of data to front-end user experiences, many potential points of failure present themselves. We've got to be more thoughtful and make speedier decisions to have any hope of staying on top of this rapidly changing space." Rethinking the future of high-tech regulation To get better at addressing these challenges, I think we must have more informed discussions and make decisions on these topics more often, indeed, routinely. Given their unprecedented scope and influence, we must fundamentally rethink our approach to tackling technology-related issues. Government and IT leaders can use these three approaches. 1.    Adopt new standards for content sharing Instituting new industry, state and international policy standards and guidelines can help govern content sharing and moderation, data privacy and user security. Active cross-collaboration between agencies and governments would improve regional and international consistency. Christchurch Call is an example of how heads of state and the tech sector can work together to create effective new standards and processes. The international strategy for removing extremist content from social media fast was developed in the wake of a terrorist attack live-streamed on Facebook in 2019. 2.    Form partnerships between public and private sector We must bring together experts from different industries and policymakers to research, discuss and make recommendations on how to regulate emerging technologies and trends. These charter taskforces or committees should be empowered and resourced to report and recommend to lawmakers more rapidly. They should also include younger voices – digital natives – to offer up-to-date insights and perspectives. India has already begun working with Google similarly to help curb the spread of misinformation. 3.    Turn the focus from past to future Lawmakers should challenge themselves to rely less on historical precedents when making decisions. Instead, they could hold future-focused scenario-planning exercises to steer their decision-making around emerging technological use-cases and concerns. Screening processes and regular training would help ensure key decision-makers have contemporary, working tech knowledge. The lawmakers' role should also involve finding and closing the loopholes in legal and regulatory frameworks that unscrupulous actors exploit. Already, the US has convened task forces to help plan for and tackle topics like AI and robotics. Keeping tabs on tomorrow's world More regulatory oversight and governance is obviously coming soon in the IT space, but it needn't hinder industry growth or advancement. Partnerships between technology sector firms, lawmakers and industry bodies can mean opportunities to fast-track innovation while giving customers a more positive high-tech experience. As a futurist who's helped over 1,500 businesses and government agencies adapt to challenges like these, I know ensuring regulation and law keep up with technological change isn't impossible. We must get more government and industry leaders on the same page and promote teamwork and collaboration between the public and private sectors. "When everyone with a stake in the technology ecosystem works in tandem, it creates a more stable playing field and more chances to benefit industry players and everyday consumers," says Ehrlich. "From organization and government leaders' perspectives, finding more harmonious ways to collaborate at every turn is a meaningful upgrade worth pursuing."

Should corporations take action for democracy?

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    • Democracy defenders around the world face an uphill battle in fighting for freedom, human rights and democracy. The 2021 Freedom in the World report from non-government organization (NGO) Freedom House found authoritarian rule increased in 2020. In many countries, leaders used the pandemic as an excuse to clamp down on protests and other organizing. Then, on January 6, 2021, thousands stormed the US Capitol Building, hoping to stop Joe Biden being sworn in as the 46th US president. Five people were killed. One thing that came next was perhaps a little surprising, historically speaking. Many businesses and CEOs across the US quickly condemned the attack. "The chaos unfolding in the nation's capital is the result of unlawful efforts to overturn the legitimate results of a democratic election," Business Roundtable said in a statement on the day of the attack. "The country deserves better. Business Roundtable calls on the President and all relevant officials to put an end to the chaos and facilitate the peaceful transition of power." Statements like this are part of a growing movement of business leaders acting to preserve and strengthen democracy. After decades of the prevailing view from economists like Milton Friedman being "the business of business is business" — meaning corporations shouldn't get involved in political or social issues — are the winds changing? And should they? Trust in business runs high Edelman's 2021 Trust Barometer found business is now the US's most trusted institution. Business achieved a 61 percent trust rating, ahead of government on 53 percent and the media at 51 percent. Edelman also reported 86 percent of respondents expect CEOs to speak out about social and political issues. 68 percent say CEOs should step in when the government doesn't fix society's problems. What would this look like in practice? In 2017 Patagonia, a global retailer specializing in outdoor clothing and accessories, pushed back against federal government administration efforts to allow oil and gas drilling on publicly owned land and reduce numbers of national parks. Its public lands campaign included a documentary, petitions and encouragements to contact elected officials. The Leadership Now Project was founded by a group of Harvard Business School alumni to bridge the gap between business and politics, aiming to strengthen US democracy. Co-founder and CEO Daniella Ballou-Aares says divisions and political issues are too important for businesses to ignore — especially when business trust is high. Leadership Now is one of several groups guiding business leaders who want to engage in democracy-related issues. Civic Alliance and Business for America help businesses advocate for voting rights and ensure company policies give employees time to vote and take part in civic activities. Ballou-Aares said the pandemic increased trust in business. Workers across sectors looked to their employers for safety guidance in and out of the workplace. Leadership Now sees this shift as a chance for companies to show support for democracy. But actions like those Leadership Now proposes can backfire if corporate spending also seems to support people or causes seen as anti-democratic. A panel at the Stanford University School of Business Conference on Corporations and Democracy in December 2020 addressed these potential pitfalls and advised on how to avoid them. "This is a risk-management issue. Corporate boards have a [trust] responsibility to manage risk, and set the policies that govern what the companies are doing politically, ensuring the company is not put at risk," Bruce Freed, President of Washington, D.C.-based Canter for Political Accountability, said during the panel. In some cases, supporting democracy can also be good for the bottom line, as Hong Kong's yellow economic circle showed in 2020. As the pandemic restricted pro-democracy demonstrators from taking to the streets, protestors turned to supporting restaurants and other businesses that had pledged support for democracy. "We might not be able to come out and protest, but supporting yellow shops in our daily life is something everyone can do," democracy advocate Mary Ma told Reuters in May 2020. Businesses may have trust from citizens but entering political conversation still involves risk. Leadership Now, Civic Alliance and Business for America recognize the pressure leaders face and work to build coalitions that can take advantage of strength in numbers. "Companies are nervous about being seen as political actors, even if that's what they are," Ballou-Aares said. "We have a coalition of companies and associations setting some minimum standards around what support for democracy demands and looks like in practice." From surveillance capitalism to humane technology As businesses think about how to become involved in supporting democracy, they're also stepping back to consider how they might have contributed to growing polarization and a technological environment that allows false information to flourish. In her book, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, Harvard professor and social psychologist Shoshanna Zuboff argues social and digital advertising are used to manipulate consumers and prioritize maximum profits over democracy, freedom and human nature itself. Zuboff's book and 2020 Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma argue social media has turned consumer attention into a product. Companies buy that attention with hyper-targeted digital advertising, using information collected by social platforms and tracking cookies to serve content that keeps people on these sites longer. And what keeps us glued to social channels isn't necessarily what's accurate nor in the interests of our human rights. Many countries are now pushing back with regulation, like EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Australia's efforts to make Facebook and Google pay news publishers for content. But there's more needed to move away from the model. Could businesses be the right entities to lead the way? Ethan Zuckerman, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Communication and Information at University of Massachusetts and Founder of Institute for Digital Public Infrastructure, says businesses sometimes act in ways governments can't or won't. For example, after the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students unsuccessfully tried to lobby Florida's legislature to change gun regulations. They found more success pressuring companies like Dick's Sporting Goods and Wal-Mart to stop selling military-grade weapons. "Employees care about businesses, and they're exempt from traditional left-right politics," Zuckerman said. "In this information vacuum, business drives the narrative." Businesses taking a bolder stance on social and political issues can also be a competitive advantage for recruiting, particularly among younger generations who want to work for a company that shares their values. LinkedIn's 2018 Workforce Culture Trends report found 86 percent of Millennials and 71 percent of all professionals would consider a pay cut to work for such a company. Zuckerman points to Salesforce using this dynamic to its advantage by focusing on responsible use of technology and stakeholder capitalism: Prioritizing employees and customers over shareholders. "I wonder if we'll see more corporations standing up and fighting for social values, making it possible for employees to organize, and affirmatively committing to diversity," Zuckerman said. Future ethics and empathy Whether you support democracy or advocate for responsible technology practices, taking the plunge into activism at work should not be taken lightly. It needs strong empathy and ethics. Neither are on most computer science and engineering curriculums, so businesses should find ways to educate employees. Sarah Drinkwater, Director of responsible technology at Omidyar Network, pointed to its Ethical Explorer as a starting point to learn to identify problem behavior in your organization, find opportunities to discuss and design solutions. Drinkwater was an academic before working as a journalist then moving into the tech world. She led Google's Campus London before joining Omidyar Network. Knowing how both scholars and business leaders think, she feels their disconnect keenly. "Business and academia don't speak the same language," says Drinkwater. "The ability of business to positively impact society is huge, but many tech workers have only come to these conversations in the past few years. Scholars have been thinking about them since they were undergraduates." Drinkwater goes on to say, "The Ethical Explorer tool is meant to help people without an ethics background find their way into these conversations. Teams can take what comes of this conversation and make change." Ballou-Aares recommends business leaders who want to become more civically engaged start locally, where resources are often stretched, and officials need technology and cybersecurity expertise. "Business can play a role in tackling disinformation and voter participation," she says. Pushing back against authoritarianism Stanford University political scientist Larry Diamond, an expert on authoritarian efforts to undermine democracy, argues business worldwide can play a role in fighting kleptocracy. Supporting independent journalists and NGOs working to expose corruption and pushing back against authoritarianism would be a good start, Diamond believes. "The best defenses against kleptocracy are usually found in countries where it originates. It demands more than rewards for a few daring whistleblowers. We need to do much more to support the frontline defenders of the global rule of law," Diamond writes. He gives the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the coalition of 267 investigative reporters that broke the Panama Papers story, as an example of an organization businesses could support. The public's trust in business can back tough decisions around giving information to customers and employees. "We've seen Facebook get way more comfortable with countering misinformation and disinformation," Zuckerman said. "A key moment was around pandemic information… there wasn't a ton of hand-wringing about freedom of speech. I'm curious to see if that continues." Drinkwater also pointed to Facebook's oversight board and statements by the Business Roundtable as steps in the right direction. But the C-suite (senior management) needs to be on board with action, or it will seem more like PR than a genuine attempt to make democracy work. "Smart CEOs have read the tea leaves and are asking the right questions about what role they will play in democracy," says Drinkwater. "But these decisions need a high level of intent and care. CEOs need to care about their decisions to make an impact."
ai government

Could AI improve the way a government runs its nation?

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    • PwC estimates that artificial intelligence could increase business productivity by up to 14 percent by 2030; this could prove to be very useful than the public sector. Or governments, to be precise. As our world and society begin to respond to increased threats, from climate change to crime sprees, governing organizations are constantly looking for ways in which to make the most of their often-stretched resources. Now, with the introduction of AI, there are more opportunities to streamline their operations with the help of machines. But how will it improve the way the public sector works? Let's take a look. Starting a digital conversation A *relatively* simple AI development that could make federal and local government customer and information centers more efficient. As our societies become more connected, the ability of local governments to reduce face-to-face interactions and phone calls by using digital chatbots could free workers up to do more focused work. Case in point: the US Citizenship and Immigration Services of Department of Home Land Security recently developed EMMA. Named after the poet Emma Lazarus, this chatbot handles requests on immigration services, green cards, passports and other departmental services. Available in both English and Spanish, it manages one million interactions a month. Other examples include TravelBot – an AI-powered Messenger chatbot launched by Transport for London in the UK. It helps users with travel information within the city, including bus arrival times and service updates. Even the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore is jumping on the trend. They're working with Microsoft to develop conversational interfaces (bots) for their Smart Nation initiative. Connecting the dots Digital connected devices – also known as the internet of things (IoT) – could have a considerable part to play in the future of government. The city of Jacksonville, US, piloted "intelligent streetlights."  These use cameras connected to the lights to track traffic and pedestrian movements and decide when to dim or brighten each lamp. Sensors in these lights can also give people a heads up as to where parking spots are. The cameras also helped police keep the streets clear and raise revenue by catching more parking violators per month. Darting through data Identifying patterns in large datasets is hard. Not least because it takes a long time, but because we're human, and there's a chance we might miss something. Machine learning (ML) is a fundamental aspect of AI: the ability for computers to learn, analyze and act on data at a rapid rate. And its use in the public sector has been proven by the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) in a recent pilot project. SNHD carries out inspections relating to food poisoning cases. In recent years, instead of random checks, they deployed a machine learning software to analyze data from Twitter. Specifically posts from people claiming to have food poisoning from a restaurant, and collated them into high-risk venues. During investigations, they found an average of nine failings out of ten against the average of six for random inspections. Research estimates that if every inspection were adaptive, it could result in 9,000 less food poisoning incidents each year in the US alone. Bringing in the admin bots You might immediately think of robots here, but it's far more than that. Robotic process automation (RPA) is more on the money. RPA involves using software, or bots, to automate tasks rapidly. Anything from processing application forms to filling out endless spreadsheets – RPA can do it all. It's best suited for repetitive, predictable and time-consuming tasks – all the work your staff probably hate doing. Automation means dramatically reducing the time spent on admin and freeing up more time for skilled work. How can governments keep cyber-secure? There are many ways in which AI could change the way our governments work, but we need to be careful. As the government and public sector begin to experiment with AI, there are several challenges towards successful, widespread adoption. Budget restraints and employee training and security – notably the need for active cybersecurity measures with AI programs and developments – could be stumbling blocks. Perhaps the most important of those is security, and as governments deal with masses of sensitive data daily, AI could enable new ways for hackers to infiltrate government systems. If AI supports publicly-funded services, like the military or healthcare, hackers who compromise these systems have a higher capacity to do considerable damage more quickly than before. AI uptake is one thing, but how will we protect our governments, and more importantly, our data, in the age of the machine?
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